Isle of Solace
by Willow70
Summary: Jason, Sam and the gang head to Ireland to hide out as the mob war rages on in Port Charles. Love and healing abound as a mystery develops surrounding the safe house that Sonny arranged for them. Secrets will be revealed on the Isle of Solace.
1. Out of Africa

**This is the Sequel to The Long Road Home. If you haven't read it, you'll probably be lost. But if you want to dive in without reading it maybe this will help...**

**Seven months ago Sam went to Algeria working with old contacts to help secure a nifty salvage job that she just couldn't pass up. She was there when rebels stormed several cities and civil war broke out. Separated from the CNN reporters who the rebels intended to send home, she was soon sent on a caravan with others who were to be sold. The caravan was besieged in the Sahara and a rebels group of nomads claimed her. She was then sold to Azim who made her his bride ( without consent of course). **

**Sam tried to escape several times but was punished severely. She soon realized that she had to secure her freedom another way and sought to seduce her capture in order to gain more freedom and soon escape. She then realized that she was pregnant ( something that she had suspected but wasn't completely sure about before she slept with Azim). It took her months to earn enough trust and freedom and to gain the friendship of one of Azim's other wives and her own body guard before she was able to orchestrate her escape. **

**Sam found an old friend who owed her one in Morocco named Scott Phelps and he helped her get back to Port Charles. Meanwhile Jason, believing Sam was dead after trying to find her and coming across the remains of the attacked caravan in the Sahara goes back home to Port Charles a broken man and spends the next seven months diving into his work to try and abate the pain. He runs into Sam and Scott on the docks and discovers, not only is she alive, but she's very pregnant. **

**Misconception drives a wedge between them as Azim, International arms dealer and Sam's husband arrives in Port Charles to take his wife and what he believes his child back home. Azim changes the mob climate by bringing in a rival family from out of town to harrow Sonny and Jason while he makes a play for Sam and Molly ( as a way to keep Sam in line). Sam and Molly are taken hostage and brought back to Azim's compound in Algeria. **

**Jason, Scott, and Johnny Zacchara head out with the help of several hired hit men and woman to take the compound by force and free Sam and Molly. Sonny stays behind to deal with the ongoing war in Port Charles. In the end, Sam, Molly, and any others held against their will in the compound are freed, Azim dies, and Sonny starts shipping his kids out of the country into hiding to keep them safe. **

**Unable to go home Jason, Sam, Scott, Johnny, and Molly head to Ireland to a safe house where they are to meet up with Max, Kristina, and Spinelli...thus begins the second story... **

**Here is the promo for The Long Road Home and the Link. **

**Here is the promo for Isle of Solace. I really hope every enjoys :)**

**Isle of Solace**

**Out of Africa**

"What was Sonny thinking?" Johnny stood between Scott and Jason starring as did the whole of the group at the large monstrosity that rose before them like some homage to the Adam's family set in the rustic wilds of the Emerald Isle.

"Obviously he didn't read the brochure." Molly whispered out in shock. She was on the other side of Sam who was between her and Jason.

"Or get an accurate description." Scott cleared his throat with a cock of his head at the castle like structure.

"It's miles from anywhere and it's large enough for all of us. Let's save the banter about the looks of the place. With a little work I'm sure it can get a little more...homey..." Jason tried to bring a little more perspective to the group as he flat out lied about what he thought the prospects for making the place homey were like. The towering excuse for an abode looked like a replica from a horror movie set and they all knew it.

"It's better than where we were." Sam added trying to sway everyone to the optimistic side of thinking, even if she was barely holding onto it. They had spent days in the air and she was exhausted. Switching off planes and staying under the radar made for a series of long flights. Sam leaned against Jason, who'd wrapped a steadying arm around her and smiled as she felt Molly take her hand reassuringly. She angled her head to see Molly smiling back up her.

Her little sister had been quite the trooper the last few days. She seemed to be holding up well. She'd been to more countries in the last week then most people traveled their whole life. Sam overheard her talking to Scott about jotting down some of her experiences into some sort of book format and knew that Spinelli would have a field day with it once they found him.

As if on cue the right door to the large double doors that adorned the expansive front porch came open slowly and Damian Spinelli rushed out to meet them. "Welcome war weary travelers!" he called excitedly.

"You're here!" Kristina bounded out the door right behind Spinelli and rushed the group, making a bee line for Sam, who she hadn't even gotten to see in Port Charles. She'd found out that her sister was alive when she got back from her trip and found out that she was also being shipped out to Ireland. Kristina wrapped her arms around Sam careful of her belly. God her belly. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Sam out there and pregnant too.

Sam held tightly to her sister for the longest time, closing her eyes to breath in the joy that surrounded them both from the reunion. When she opened them again she expected to see Alexis walking out the door next, but it was Max instead. She pulled back worriedly. "Where's mom?"

"She said she had to finish some work before she headed over, but she's coming." Kristina promised her.

"Where's Michael?" Jason asked Max as the two of them wandered off to help Johnny, Spinelli and Scott unload the bags.

"He went with Carly, Morgan, Jocelyn, and Abby to a safe house closer to home." Max explained. "I think Sonny's trying to get everyone off the beaten path. Places unknown."

"You don't know do you?" Jason asked worriedly.

"I know they're safe. I was still in with Milo when Sonny called me to come with Kristina." Max replied evenly with a sigh.

"How is Milo?" Jason had almost forgotten how badly he was injured when Azim's men came to claim Molly.

"He's doing a lot better." Max smiled sadly wishing he could give his brother a call, let him know where he was and check on him. He knew Sonny would take care of him, but still he worried.

"I'm glad to hear it. You know Sonny's going to make sure he makes a full recovery, whatever it takes." Jason reassured him.

"I know." Max said with a smile of relief at the simple reassurances. "How are you guys all holding up?"

"Everyone's holding it together so far..." Jason knew it was only a matter of time though. No one had had a chance to work through anything. Especially Sam. He only knew part of what happened to her while she was with Azim and that had been a nightmare. There was no telling what he'd yet to find out. If he'd had his way he would have killed Azim in a much different way, slower...the man was a monster.

Jason looked back to the house in time to see Sam and her sisters headed in side. "Who the hell picked this house out?"

Max chuckled as he and the others must have already had a similar conversation. "All I know is it wasn't me." He laughed. "It's not as bad as it looks though, just don't go in the courtyard."

"What's wrong with the courtyard?" Jason headed in the front door hearing Kristina and Molly dragging Sam on a tour of the downstairs bedrooms.

"It's basically a topiary jungle that's been let go. It's creepy." Max explained just as the lights flickered and the both of them looked around eerily. Max swallowed tightly. "And there are some other concerns." He said as if the sputter of the electricity was his cue to address said concerns.

"Luckily I think everyone's too tired to care at the moment. Have you checked the fuse box?" Jason sighed as the lights stabilized.

"Yeah, I was waiting on you guys to get here so I could leave Krissy and Spinelli with you and head to town to get some more fuses. The box is ancient. It's about a hour and half into town. I didn't want to leave them alone but we didn't want to miss you guys arrival either."

"This place is amazing." Scott called out from the upstairs walkway that served the second floor and overlooked the foyer. "Did you know there's a library and a ball room?"

"How about you work on finding a bedroom." Jason scoffed with a shake of his head. "How many bedrooms are there?" Jason asked Max as Scott laughed and wandered off to do just that.

"Seven between the second and third floors. Two down here." Max replied quickly. "We've got four exits out the back, two possible from second story balconies and one exit in the front." Max gave him the run down on security. "I've got Bruce and Baxter at the back but they have to make rounds to cover the exits and that still leaves the front open. I've been making sure that I stay in view." Max explained the layout that he had set up so far. "Sonny couldn't afford the men."

"Between me, you, Johnny, and Scott I think we can keep the front covered and give Bruce and Baxter a little relief in the back." Jason nodded. "Anyone in the master bedroom down here?" Jason asked as he knew Sam didn't need to be running up and down stairs considering how close to her due date she was.

"Nah, we saved it for you and Sam."

He was really not liking the idea of an hour and a half trip into town if she went into labor. "Is there a hospital or clinic in town?" Jason asked Max quietly as he heard the girls in the background, still roaming.

"Yeah, but, Jason..." Max motioned for him to follow him as he headed to another of the bedrooms downstairs, situated under the stairwell. He pushed the door open, revealing that the room was made up like a hospital room save the bed was much larger and well there were some comforts of home. "Sonny, said there's a local midwife about a half hour out."

Jason looked over the room with a heavy breath as he slowly looked back to Max who looked about as unsure of all of this as he felt. He was liking this less and less. "So your telling me that Sonny planned on Sam having her baby here?" Jason felt like strangling his friend at the moment. Sonny had to know how they were going to feel about this.

"Here or at the midwives place." Max nodded. "You know it's safer this way..."

"For who?" Jason shot back angrily. "Certainly not for Sam or the baby." Jason replied vehemently. "Get me a line to Sonny, Max, now." Jason tried to keep his voice down as he pulled the door closed.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Now see I picked this one." Kristina threw the door open to a large expanse of the bedroom, decorated in styles of the far east with ebonies and rich greens, a landscape of colors and expressive hand picked wonders that near made up for the over all ambiance of the manor. Kristina turned seeing fear edging into Molly's features at the thought of trying to find a room of her own...of sleeping by herself after everything. "But it's plenty big enough for the both of us." Kristina saw relief cross Molly's features as she bounded over to the king sized bed.

"It's beautiful." Molly said breathlessly as she ran her hand over the silky olive of the comforter.

"And it's just two doors down from the master bedroom." Kristina smirked to Sam nearly bouncing where she stood from excitement. "You have to see it."

"I'm sure it's breathtaking." Sam hated to break it to them that just about any bed would make her happy as tired a she was right now, but she let their mirth rub off on her and smiled tiredly as she waddled after her sisters to the master bedroom.

To Kristina's credit it was absolutely awe inspired. As with the most of the walls they were stone to about midway up and then a sort of plaster work rich mingling of browns and reds. The bed was a large four poster king size beauty of carved mahogany with reliefs of leaves and woodland animals ornately wrapped around the posts and cascading across the headboard and foot board.

The curtains and comforter were splashed together in a menagerie of red, brown, orange, and dark yellows giving a sense of warmth to the room that settled in the soul. It looked like the perfect place to start healing, but even with the splendor and the amenities, she still wished that they could go home. "You're right, Krissy, this is amazing." Sam smiled brightly as they all walked into the large room, past the sitting area and the walk in closet.

"Oh my," Molly poked her head into the adjoining bathroom. "I see a bubble bath in my future." Molly smirked as she turned the light on and stepped out of the way to reveal the porcelain claw foot tub set in the middle of the bathroom. There was shower behind it that looked large enough to fit two comfortably.

The lights flickered again in accompaniment to a loud clap of thunder outside as the spatter of rain tittered against the roof far above and the windows. It was hard to tell if the sun was setting of if the storm clouds were threatening to cast them all into premature nightfall. Sam yawned as the lights evened out again and Molly couldn't help but take notice.

"You should get some sleep, Sam," She said as she hugged her sister softly, kissing her belly as she told the baby. "And so should you." She whispered before she let Sam go and turned back to Kristina. "Lets go snoop the rest of the place over..." She giggled as though they might find some mysterious clue out and about some hidden spot in the house.

"Alright." Kristina smiled as she quickly hugged Sam once more. "I'm so glad you're alright." She said as Sam kissed her cheek. Sam pulled back with a smile, it was so great to be with her family. She only wished that her mother could be here as well. Sam sank onto the bed and leaned back against the pillows, meaning to simply settle for a moment before she changed clothes and waited on Jason so that she could get some sleep. Her body had other plans, however as she was soon drifting right off.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"The call's safe, Spinelli's bouncing it off so many towers we don't even know where it's coming from." Jason was saying in a toned down rage as he paced the ghastly excuse of a courtyard that Max had mentioned earlier. The man was right, it was creepy. "It's safer than your plan for Sam's home birth, Sonny." Jason nearly growled out.

"Jason, I just wanted you guys to be prepared in case of emergencies." Sonny explained himself. "There's a hospital near the house."

"An hour and a half is not near the house, Sonny." Jason countered. Jason pinched he bridge of his nose and closed his eyes on frustration. "Sam's been through hell and back over the last seven months and you know that this pregnancy is higher risk than normal. She should be near a hospital."

"Jason, just hang in there a few days, you guys go check out the midwife, get her a check up and if you still want to move closer to town we'll make it happen." Sonny promised him. "The house is solid though, it's out of the way, no one knows about it. I know you're safe where you are. I haven't vetted anything else near you or the hospital." Sonny voiced his own concerns.

"I know, I know." Jason sighed in frustration. "Alright, but I'm not taking any chances."

"You shouldn't." Sonny acknowledged. "I wouldn't either."

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"_It's a crime you let it happen to me...never mind, I let it happen to you...I don't mind, forget it...there's nothing to lose...but my mind and all the things I wanted..." _

Johnny tossed his bag in the chair beside the nice double bed as he pushed the doors to the balcony open and stepped out into the rain. God he was tired, tired and sick at all the atrocities that had been committed all in the name of possession. Power had a way of driving men to madness. He'd seen it with his father.

Now seeing it reflected in another man's empire made Johnny wish it was still possible to leave the life of organized crime behind him once and for all. It was hard sell though unless he wanted to leave everything else hew knew behind as well and he didn't. Precarious were the choices ahead...

He didn't noticed the flicker of the lights at his back or the sudden darkness that engulfed his room as they failed, not bouncing back to normalcy as they had before, too caught up in his personal debate and the feel of the rains cool against his skin...

"_Every time I get it throw it away...it's a sign, I get it...I wanna stay...by the time I lose it, I'm not afraid...of love, but I can surely fake it..."_

Scott leaned back against his bed, hands laced behind his head on the pillow as he laughed at the intricate décor of Greek Gods on the ceiling. The whole room was montage of paintings that had to have been done by a pretty talented artist. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.

Scott hadn't stayed on because he feared for his safety. It was more he feared for the safety of everyone else and he wanted to see this thing to the end, see Sam safe and happy again. He owed her that much. Hell with their history – he owed her a lot more. He owed her his life.

Scott frowned as the lights suddenly danced and he slowly rose to a sit just in time to be caste into the shadows...

"_How can I believe when this cloud hangs over me...you're the part of me that I don't wanna see...Forget it... forget it...forget it...forget it..." _

Max checked in with Bruce and Baxter for the evening report – as dull as it may be. They had checked everything and so far so good. He headed on to the kitchen to see about getting some food ready in case any of the new comers were hungry. His and Kristina's flight had been bad enough but he knew the others was worse.

"What's on the menu, oh protector of the night?" Spinelli asked jokingly as he walked into the room and propped himself up on the counter. "I think there's a can of Spaghetti O's left..." He offered getting a look from Max that had him taking a step back.

They were both interrupted, however as the lights failed...

"_There's a place I see you follow me...just a taste of all that might come to be...I'm alone but holding breath you can breath...to question every answer coming...just fade away ...please let me stay...caught in your way..." _

"There was gun fire everywhere and so much shouting..." Molly was saying as Kristina sat knee to knee with her sister in their bed lost in tales of the rescue from Algeria. "Madi and I gathered up the children but the guards in our room wouldn't let us leave so I suggest we read to calm the little ones. I didn't see what happened, Madi screamed for me to close my eyes as the door was kicked in and another barrage of gunfire sounded..."

Kristina was absolutely in awe, caught on every word as Molly went on. "By the time I looked up Scott was standing there..." A light twinkled in Molly's eye that Kristina hadn't seen before, but it reminded her of the lost in blooming romance look that Molly got when she was trying to help Sam and Jason out with their relationship. "He'd single-handedly taken out all four of them. Jason and Johnny weren't far behind and then they had us moving to the second floor so quickly..."

"Sounds scary." Kristina commented, now wondering if Molly wasn't developing a little crush on Scott.

"Oh it was..." Molly nodded fervently. Just at that moment the lights failed, blanketing them in darkness. Molly reached for Kristina in the dark frantically as the fear truly began to set in.

"_Forget it, forget it, forget it, forget it...Just fade away...please let me stay...caught in your way..."_

_**Sam bolted awake as a loud clap of thunder rocked her from the safety of sleep to be met with pitch blackness, disoriented as she hadn't yet gotten used to the new house that they were to stay at for God only knew how long. "Jason?" Sam felt around her, trying to gain some sort of bearings in the dark as she climbed to her feet. **_

_**She felt around her as she turned trying to remember where everything was situated in the room. She groaned out in pain when she stumbled into the sitting area and hit the overstuffed chair by the fireplace, wishing there was a fire going now, anything to light the dark. "Jason?" She called again. Sound like breathing at her back had Sam stop in panic and she whirled trying to find the source as she picked up a candle stick in defense. "I'm armed." She warned whoever was behind her. **_

"_**I wasn't..." Came a gravely whisper that had Sam's blood running absolutely frigid. She swallowed tightly as true terror found a home in her heart. It wasn't possible. It wasn't. She was dreaming. She had to be – no not dreaming...having a nightmare. **_

_**Sam screamed with jump as something poked her back and she let out a sobbing cry. "You knew it...You KNEW IT!" the voice screamed as Sam sank to the floor her legs no longer able to hold her...**_

Sam awoke with a scream on her lips, scrambling up in the bed as she realized that she was engulfed in blackness once more...

"_It's a crime you let it happen to me...I don't mind, I love it, easy to please...never mind, forget it, just memories...on a page inside a spiral notebook...just fade away ...please let me stay...caught in your way..."_

Jason cursed under his breath as the lights flickered then failed. God this place needed so much work to make it more livable. He was thinking on that and so many other thoughts tiredly as he made his way towards the master bedroom just as Sam's scream tore through the house and Jason bolted at an all out run to find her...

"_I can live forever here..." _

_Last song "Forget it." by Breaking Benjamin_


	2. Nightmares

**Isle of Solace**

**Nightmares **

**6 Weeks Ago**

**Tamanrasset, Algeria**

"_They will be to sleep soon." Sam heard the thick accented whisper and looked through the slates in the box peering through the tight space to see Paresh beyond her captive space in the supply truck. She was sealed in a box among the other supplies as was the plan for escape from the stronghold. He was on escort duty and was making sure that the other guards were out of the way before he let her out, so that they could rendezvous with the caravan that would take them through the desert. _

_Paresh was being kind, giving her a glimmer of hope, a reminder that he hadn't forgotten about her in the 4 hours they had traveled and been waiting in the oasis community of Tamanrassett. The men had to put the crates on a cargo plane the next morning and Sam had to make sure that she was no longer in her crate by then. Sam met Paresh's dark caring eyes from the dark of the box she was curled up in and slipped her fingers through the slats with a sniff trying to stifle the emotions brimming from the hope in-sighted in her heart. _

_She felt his fingers tenderly slide against hers. She might get out of this yet. It was the guilt that finally got her to withdraw her fingers, that and Paresh looking around worriedly as though someone might spot the fact that he was talking to one of the boxes. "Soon, Sam." He promised and suddenly he was gone. _

_Sam was part disheartened, part relieved, part trying to shove the guilt down long enough to just get through this part. Paresh was in love with her. She couldn't even deny it. She'd played into it. Her one opportunity to get a guard to flip and she was a heartless bitch to push him into it, to manipulate him, not because she was using him, not because she was sure to break his heart, no..._

_Sam looked up a half later as a crow bar showed through the splintering cracks while Paresh separated the lid from her crate and then helped her out of it. "We must be quiet, my dear." Paresh wrapped an arm around her as he led them towards a nearby hanger, where the care waited. _

_They were soon on their way to meet the caravan, Paresh smiling like a lark in the front seat as his hand enfolded around hers. Sam smiled back, but it wasn't for the reason he smiled at her. It wasn't because she was in love with Paresh and escaping with him. She was smiling because after seventh months of hell she might finally get back to her true love..._

**Present Day...**

Looking back, Sam didn't feel like a heartless bitch because she made Paresh think she was in love with him...she felt like she was a heartless bitch, because she got him killed...

Sam jumped as the door to the bedroom suddenly slammed open heralding the arrival of Jason as he peered around in the darkness, fumbling as he pressed a key on his cell to illuminate a hint of the large ornate room. "Sam?" Jason called frantically.

"Jason, I'm fine. It's okay." She called her breath still coming in heaves as she peered into the midnight room. Her voice still quivered as she was fighting to pull herself together. "It was a dream..." At least she thought that's all it was. She couldn't get the lights to work and everyone was on edge. She could hear what sounded like a parade of elephants running down the stairs and more down the hallway.

Sam suddenly flinched covering her eyes as a flashlight beam lit up the room, momentarily blinding her, "What's wrong?" as Max's voice greeted the both of them.

"Aside from the power being out, nothing. Go see about getting the lights on." Jason's tone started out angry but it softened as he reeled himself in, realizing that they were all frazzled, not just him. Max nodded in understanding, giving a look in Sam's direction and then sweeping over the rest of the room once more before he headed out to get the problem sorted out.

A lightning bolt lit the night a moment and thus the room through the ample windows situated around the dawn side of the room. For a moment Sam saw Jason as more than the disembodied figure behind the moving cell phone light coming towards her and she breathed a real sigh of relief. Sam had been silently reassuring herself in the darkness as much as she was trying to lend strength to the baby with her hand nestled against her stomach.

"We're going to check the house, top to bottom, but the electrical is temperamental." Jason wasn't liking the fact that it had taken less than three hours to figure the latter part out, which meant that the electrical was more temperamental then was good for his liking.

"Let someone else do it." Sam whispered out as Jason finally made it to the bed and quickly wrapped his arms around Sam who clung to him tightly. "Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere, Baby." Jason promised her as the door creaked and Jason blindly adjusted himself where he could get to his gun even holding her. They both saw another cell phone light up the night and then...

"It's just me." Scott called into the room followed but a quick...

"And me," from Johnny.

"I think we're all here..." Kristina spoke up just as the lights suddenly flickered back to life, bathing the room in the soft lamp light and showing that Scott, Johnny, Krissy, Molly, and Spinelli ( who was bringing up the rear, had made it into the room).

The moment was short lived though as another loud thunderous boom sounded before the lights went out once more. A gasp went through the room collectively. "I think we're going to have to get used to candles..." Molly said softly.

"Out of the mouths of babes." Scott piped in followed by an enraptured.

"You think I'm a babe?" Molly's voice was lit with excitement.

"Molly!" Krissy gasped and Sam couldn't help but smile as she heard Molly cry out from what sounded like a kick.

"I uh..." Scott sounded a little lost for words and Johnny finally spoke up.

"Lets go get some of those candles." Johnny realized that Jason and Sam might need a moment and ushered the group out in mid conversation as Scott was getting uncomfortable from Molly's question and Kristina was trying to get through that it was inappropriate without actually embarrassing her sister.

Finally Jason and Sam were alone once more – in the dark. Sam closed her eyes snuggling against his chest, breathing him in. "I dreamed this place was haunted." she said softly thinking that voicing it might bleed some of the validity from the idea, but with the lights all out, it really didn't.

Jason chuckled trying to disarm the statement as he kissed her cheek once more, the sound of the storm now their only company in the unfamiliar setting. "I think we all thought about it when we first saw it." Jason confided though it was more in jest than anything, still it was strange trying to pick up where they left off so many months ago with such a short action charged moment in between.

She felt so right in his arms, but he could tell that she was holding back. She had been ever since they had had the scarce moments to talk between finding her on the docks and rescuing her from Algeria. There was no question that they loved each other, no question that they would do anything to be with each other, the questions that fell between them were long and hard and were embroiled in the fragile answers that had already been given.

"Yeah," Sam whispered as the lights returned once more and she held tightly to Jason.

"Everything's going to be okay, we're all so tired and I'm not going anywhere after I talk to Max." Jason promised her. He kept his word. Jason made sure that the rest of the house was taken care of and safe before he snuggle up with Sam in bed, the both of them silently basking in each others company, lost on how to bridge the space between them, the months and tales left unsaid as they slowly fell asleep...

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

**The next day...**

After the scare the night before and a restful night for all the house. Everyone was working on trying to co-exist with everyone else...It wasn't really something that anyone spoke of, just a tedious awkwardness that existed as everyone got used to the place and each other.

A steady haze of storm clouds loomed over the landscape but only spatters of rain graced the manor as candles and flashlights were taken into stock...a steady supply of both laid out for all in the front parlor...

Kristina walked into the kitchen with a yawn as Spinelli was setting a gargantuan plate pancakes down on the table. There was also a host of fruits and a pitcher of milk and juice there. She sank into a seat and forked a few pancakes onto her plate as Johnny sank down next across from the table between Baxter and Max.

"Everyone sleep alright?" Johnny asked as Max and Baxter were already stuffing their faces in anticipation of needing to get back to patrolling soon.

"Like a baby." Baxter smirked.

Max didn't reply as he was trying to hurriedly get through breakfast.

"Molly and I slept quite fine." Kristina smiled back at him as Baxter dug in once more.

"Glad to hear it..."

"The Jackal found the intermittent electricity quite disturbing but finally got a good night in after the midnight hour." Spinelli called from the kitchen as he was working on bringing something else to the table.

Awkward silence settled over the group as they all ate quietly...

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Callao was the point of awakening for me." Scott read his words aloud as he looked over the journal entry set up against his knees drawn in towards him as he sat on the concrete bench seat in the middle of the eerie courtyard. "You have to know that I never wanted what happened to happen." He whispered the last part, looking down – far away as he remembered it.

"Grayson was above board in every written form possible and I refused to follow my gut and you almost died." Scott leaned back against the outer wall near his present bench, peering up into the over cast sky. "Dammit." He cursed himself. "Sam, I should have just said that the job was a bust." Scott seemed completely conflicted as he was working through his own guilt.

Over head on the second story balcony Molly lay on her stomach looking between two of the bars as she wrote in her diary.

"_Scott looks completely beside himself this morning. I wonder why? I keep hearing mention of far away lands and Sam's name and I have to think that perhaps he feels guilty for something in their mutual past."_ She wrote. _"Everyone here is dancing around each other like their too afraid to talk to each other about what happened...like it's some mystery...I don't understand. I don't understand at all. I was there and it was scary, but it's obvious that there is much more going on..."_

Molly angled herself up on her elbows so that she could keep typing in her laptop that Krissy had brought her. _"Sam and Jason are the worst. They obviously need some help in resolving the issues of the past..." _Molly stopped typing a moment as Scott pushed himself to his feet and she quickly hid so that he couldn't see that she was spying from above.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"This is really unsettling." Sam looked past Jason to the home delivery room beyond as they stood in the doorway, Sam carefully tracing her fingers of her stomach.

"You have an appointment with the midwife to make sure everything is alright." Jason told her softly wrapping his arms around her in comfort and reassurance.

"I'm not really nervous that it's a midwife." Sam confirmed for him. "It's just...It's so close to time and I'm...I'm..."

"Sam, it's perfectly normal to be scared, especially with everything that's going on. You are new to the area and we don't know anyone but lets just go meet her and see what we think." Jason offered.

Sam settled back against his chest as he held her and she remained quiet for the longest moment. "Alright...after breakfast...we go meet her." She nodded softly.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Breakfast came and went and Jason and Sam met the midwife who Sam loved, much to Jason's relief, but there was still so much to be reconciled, still so much to be spoken. Kristina ended up on a curious driven look over the grounds with Johnny while Molly walked with Scott trying to hide her crush. Max and Jason and the boys made sure that the house was taken care of while Spinelli manned communications and several orders from Sonny in hopes to end the war soon.

"_Sunset, I close my eyes...I pretend everything's alright...drowning in anger from all these lies...I can't pretend everything's alright...Please don't let me fall forever...can you tell me it's over..."_

"**I watched Sam walk in with Jason from the midwife. They looked happier than I had seen them in a long while. But I can still see their reluctance. Sam's scared and I don't know why. I mean I know why it could be. We are possibly targets by my uncles villains, but I know she's always lived with that as far as she and Jason goes, so it's not that...maybe it's the baby? Maybe she's worried about the baby. **

"**I don't think so though. She came home with this relieved look all while hugging her belly. I have to think that it's not to do with the baby or the mob war and that worries me. The tension seems to revolve around things not said about things that have happened in the past...**

"_There's a hate inside of my like some kind of master...I tried to save you but I can't find the answer...I'm holding onto you...I'll never let go...I need you with me as I enter the shadows..." _

"**I watched as Kristina took after Johnny and wonder if she has a crush on him. At least she's old enough to act on one. I know that Scott's too old for me, but why do I feel so drawn to him? I think it has nothing to do with me. I think of the way he looks at Sam when no one else is looking and I know that he's pining for someone he can't have...or else there is something that I'm missing. **

**I do think I'm missing a lot...**

"_Caught in the darkness I go blind...But can you help me find my way out...Nobody hears me, I suffer the silence...Can you tell me it's over now..."_

"**Like what happened to Sam all those months ago in Algeria and how she escaped in the first place...I mean we had so much help the second time around so how did she make it out on her own to begin with and why isn't anyone talking about it? God, no one is talking about anything it's like their all just waiting for some emotional damn to break where they have to spill in order to survive and yet...**

**Everyone seems terrified to ask about the near past...just passing time in some antsy present as they wait for someone to break so that everything is revealed."**

"_There's a hate inside of my like some kind of master...I tried to save you but I can't find the answer...I'm holding onto you...I'll never let go...I need you with me as I enter the shadows..." _

"**I'm tired of waiting the curiosity has me on edge and I want to know why everyone is dancing on egg shells. I want to know what happened and I want to know right now. I want to know why Scott is enamored with Sam and I want to know why she's scared to talk to Jason and I want to know why Krissy is prancing around Johnny. **

**I feel invisible sometimes...like they all just overlook me but I'm not blind. I see what's going on...why doesn't everyone else?"**

"_I'm holding onto you...I'm holding onto you..."There's a hate inside of my like some kind of master...I tried to save you but I can't find the answer...I'm holding onto you...I'll never let go...I need you with me as I enter the shadows..." _

Molly sighed as she let her pen rest and she looked over the passage she'd just written. She leaned back against the wall of the courtyard as she smiled at Baxter passing by. The night was swiftly approaching but Molly had far more to think about than the possibility of haunted houses as she was so worried about everyone in the house.

She closed her lap top and rose to her feet.

And as the night before, just as the storm rolled in, the lights failed and Molly whirled in the darkness of the courtyard, her laptop slung against her chest as she looked about in the darkness. She started to feel her way towards the doors in panic but a quick breath at her back caught her attention and she whirled in worry thinking that someone in the household was at her back...

"Hello?" she whispered as she turned...

No reply met her ears.

"I'm unarmed..." Molly whirled again trying to pin point the masculine voice but she couldn't make a bead on it. Who was that?

"I'm unarmed, Azim..." Molly licked at her lips as she whirled once more and was still unable to pin point anything...God...

Lightning lit up the courtyard for a split second and Molly froze in horror as she saw her past come right back to bite her...the hell she'd just lived through...the man she'd come to hate...some shadow of a figure she never knew suddenly screamed and she heard a slice of blade...a man fell and she caught a glimpse of Azim..."

Molly had been so brave for so long...but now...

She couldn't help but scream.

"_I'm holding onto you..." _

_Last song "Shadows" By Red._

**Next Chapter: More from the past and more from Sams's POV.**


End file.
